


Growing Pains

by accelgors



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Ages changed from canon, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Overwatch, Fluff and Angst, I usually don't tag for multiple ships but I promise both are important, M/M, Porn only between Jack and Gabriel, Several factors of story based on canon, Slow Burn, Starts out fluffy but gets kinda fucked up, Still set at canon year (2076), Zenyatta is still an Omnic but Genji is not a cyborg, more characters will be added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 14:02:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29593905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/accelgors/pseuds/accelgors
Summary: Lena Oxton has just turned 18 and began attending Gibraltar University. Jack Morrison has just transferred to a new job as a History professor. Genji Shimada is a second year student that's trying to make up for a bad first year.But this seemingly peaceful university has dark secrets, and all of them are about to find out the hard way.
Relationships: Genji Shimada/Tekhartha Zenyatta, Lena "Tracer" Oxton & Genji Shimada, Reaper | Gabriel Reyes/Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison
Comments: 5
Kudos: 25





	1. Starting Off Strong

**Author's Note:**

> In this AU, some of the characters are at different ages, while some are at canon age. The ages for the major characters are
> 
> Lena Oxton: 18  
> Genji Shimada: 19  
> Hanzo Shimada: 22  
> Jesse McCree: 20  
> Tekartha Zenyatta: 19  
> Jack Morrison: 55  
> Gabriel Reyes: 58  
> Reinhardt Wilhelm: 61  
> Ana Amari: 60  
> Akande Ogundimu: 45  
> Moira O'Deorain: 48  
> Winston: 29 
> 
> Others may be added later.

Lena Oxton arrived at Gibraltar University at 7:45 AM, ready for her first day of class, with no idea what she was in for.

The university was huge; she had seen it when she moved in, but it still made an impression on her even now. Who even knew how many students were here?

Despite that, she didn’t feel intimidated at all. In fact, she was incredibly excited. Her first day of college. This was a damn milestone. She had been preparing for this for so long, and now it was finally happening.

The halls weren’t _too_ crowded (a helpful function of not everyone having classes at the same time), but there were enough people to never be completely alone. She smiled at every stranger she made eye contact with, trying not to get too excited and start running.

“Let’s see…” She mused aloud. “Room 204. That should be on the second floor.”

She was there quickly. There were many hallways that looked similar to each other, but she had a fairly good sense of direction, so she made it without a problem. It remained to be seen if that would be true for her other classes, though.

Because of that, she arrived at her 8:00 am class at 7:54. Good timing. That would give her a chance to talk to some of her classmates.

As she scanned the room, the first person that caught her attention was the guy with bright green hair. She sat next to him, immediately fascinated. They sure as hell wouldn’t let anyone get away with green hair in her previous school.

“Your hair is so cool!” She said, before he even turned around. He turned towards her, startled. She gave him a sheepish expression; that was probably pretty weird of her. “Sorry. I’m Lena. What’s your name?”

If he was too put off, he didn’t show it. The man smiled at her. “Genji.”

She looked at him with a smile of her own. “This is my first day. I’m really excited.” She felt like jumping out of her chair. “How about you?”

Genji chuckled, scratching the back of his head. “This is my second year, but I got held back. I did a little too much partying last year.”

She nodded at him in understanding. “Oh. I’m sure you’ll do better this time.” 

He raised an eyebrow. “Are you always this optimistic?”

She grinned. “Yep! Just how I am,” she said, with a small laugh.

“Huh. Well, I like it.” Really? This was already going so well. “I was nervous you were gonna judge me for failing,” he admitted.

She shook her head, happy to have proven him wrong. “Nah. We all mess up sometimes. And parties are fun. But I’ll be watching you to make sure you do better this time,” she said, winking at him.

He laughed, but before he could say anything else, the professor walked into the room. 

He was a large older man, hair completely white (and receding a bit, if she was honest). She wasn’t sure she’d ever had a teacher this muscular before. She detected almost immediately that the professor was nervous, as she watched him adjust his tie and tap his foot on the ground.

“Hello,” he said; his voice was a deep baritone, with a slight growl to it. Maybe a smoker? “I’m Mr. Morrison.” He wrote his name on the board. “Just to make sure you’re all in the right class, this is US History, 1800-present. That sound right?” He paused; a few students, including Lena, nodded. “Good.” 

As he took role, Genji turned to Lena. “I think he’s new,” he whispered. 

“Let’s be nice to him,” she whispered back. “He’s probably terrified.”

While still not looking at them, Morrison said, “I’m not hard of hearing yet, you know.” Lena and Genji both looked at him awkwardly, eyes wide. “Yes, I am new. This is my first day. How could you tell?”

“Uh…” Genji started, “You look like you’re about to scream.”

Lena felt very uncomfortable being stared at by the professor. However, this went away when she heard him laugh. “Alright, you got me. Just a little scared you’re all gonna band together and eat me or something.” Lena stared at him. “That was a joke, I promise,” he said, with a nervous chuckle.

Lena laughed, as enthusiastically as she could. “We’ll just have to go easy on you, then.”

Genji shrugged. “Besides, I’m not feeling hungry.” 

As others in the room laughed, Morrison seemed to be much more comfortable, as he stopped shaking. Lena sensed that he was thankful to her for it, if the small smile he wore was any indication. Men never seemed to admit aloud when they needed help. So silly.

The next activity was people in the class introducing themselves. Genji seemed mostly uninterested, but Lena liked hearing about everybody. Morrison was obviously engaged with it as well. He made jokes throughout the activity; most of them were pretty lame, but he at least seemed to be enjoying himself. It was endearing, in a way. 

When it was her turn, she stood up, excited. “I’m Lena Oxton. First year here. Um...a fact about me.” She put her finger on her chin, pondering what to say. “I wanted to be a pilot when I was growing up. I might still try to get my license later on. Wouldn’t that be cool?”

Morrison nodded. “That is cool. Hopefully you’ll go above and beyond in my class, then.”

Lena pointed at him. “I see what you did there.”

If nobody else was gonna laugh, at least she’d engage with him.

Morrison took out the syllabus. Now _this_ was the boring part of class. She’d already gone over it on her own; she didn’t really need his help understanding it. Still, it was probably required. She didn’t blame him for it. She just hoped he’d spice it up somehow.

At least she had a nice first class.

\--

After class let out, Genji walked into the town just off campus. He didn’t have another class until 2 pm, so he decided it’d be a good idea to walk around a bit. Maybe he’d see a couple of his friends out and about. He’d have to avoid getting invited to any parties, though. Not this year.

His apartment was only a few blocks from where he was, anyway, so he could always go home if he needed to escape a situation. His family had gotten him his own apartment, so he had no need to get back to a dorm or roommates to deal with; as overbearing as they were, he at least appreciated that.

As he made his way through a park, he saw three men surrounding something. Curious, he looked over and noticed someone in the middle; a robot. Probably an Omnic, he assumed. If they were gathered around one of those, he had a feeling their intentions weren’t positive. He started to make his way in their direction, close enough to hear them talk.

“Bots aren’t welcome here,” one of the men said. Oh, God.

“I merely wished to shop for a hat,” -- _this guy talked like a monk or something_ \-- “I did not mean to bother you. Perhaps you should work on your anger management issues.”

“What the fuck did you just say?” The man responded.

Genji had seen enough. He ran towards the man, grabbed him, and pushed him away from the Omnic. “Hey, what the hell, asshole?” One of the other two men said. 

They started to walk towards him; his training really came in handy in these times. They didn’t know what they were in for. He kicked the man in the stomach, knocking him over, then punched the other one in the face. Grabbing the Omnic’s hand, he said, “C’mon!”

The Omnic cooperated, running with him. The two ducked inside a restaurant; the men didn’t seem to notice them. 

Genji tried to catch his breath. “Sorry about those assholes. I promise not all humans are like that.”

The Omnic looked at him with small, slitted eyes; or at least, he assumed those were his eyes. Maybe they were something else entirely. 

“Do not worry. I understand that I cannot judge all by the worst of their kind,” he said; his voice was digitized and robotic, but still compelling, in its own way.

“You talk funny,” Genji said; it came out ruder than he intended. “Are you not from around here?”

The Omnic shook his head. “I hail from Nepal. My speech pattern was picked up from the monks in the area, of which I am one.”

Oh, damn. A monk. He felt like he could somehow see through all of the sins Genji had committed...which there were too many of to count. He better behave himself. “Really?”

Not wanting to merely stand awkwardly in the restaurant, he talked to the hostess and asked for a table for two. She guided them to a table near the corner, with a small smile. At least she seemed nice enough.

“I must thank you for saving me,” the Omnic said, startling Genji. “What is your name?” 

Why hadn’t he introduced himself already? Something about this experience felt very awkward, but he couldn’t place why. “I’m Genji. How about you?” He asked, trying to maintain some composure.

The Omnic stared for a brief moment, making Genji a bit nervous. “Genji. That is a nice name.” That was flattering, he supposed. “My name is Zenyatta.”

“Hm. I think I’ll just call you Zen.” Before Zenyatta could respond, a waiter came to the table; Genji hadn’t even looked at the menu yet. He asked the waiter for more time to decide.

He heard a chuckle behind him. “I must say, nobody at the monastery has called me ‘Zen’ before.”

Genji leaned back, enough to make his chair slant backwards. “I bet that’s because they’re too uptight.”

“You judge them very quickly,” Zenyatta pointed out.

Oops. That made Genji feel like a jerk. He hoped he hadn’t made Zenyatta mad. He looked down nervously, playing with the drawstrings of his hoodie. “Sorry.”

Zenyatta shook his head. “Worry not, Genji. I would not be angry at the one who saved me.” How did he read Genji so easily? “I am merely teasing you.”

Teasing wasn’t something he’d expect from a monk. He didn’t think of them as comedians. At least, not the ones he’d met.

“So you’ve got a naughty streak in you, huh?” He imitated a cat’s paw moving downwards.

Zenyatta laughed; digital or not, it was a sound that left Genji feeling warm. How could those men attack someone so sweet? “You may find I surprise you quite often, Genji.”

Genji wasn’t sure what that meant. Did monks always talk in cryptic statements?

When the waiter came back, Genji just asked for a water to start off. No alcohol _this_ early. He turned back to Zenyatta. “So, what are you doing in this place, anyway?”

“I grew weary of the lack of activity in Nepal,” Zenyatta said. “I came here to engage a more wild spirit. At the moment, I work in a flower shop. The owner was kind enough to allow me to live in the building, as well.”

That caught Genji’s attention. A monk in a flower shop? That wasn’t something he’d expect. But the picture of Zenyatta there was kind of charming. 

“Who is this guy?” Genji asked. “I might have heard of him.”

“Hm, you must discern if my friend is not a danger to me?” He said, amusement in his tone.

“What?” Genji said, caught off guard. “No, it’s nothing like that, I prom--”

Zenyatta laughed again. “I am teasing, Genji.” The tension left Genji’s shoulders. He supposed he’d have to get used to the monk’s more mischievous side. “His name is Reinhardt.”

Genji nodded. “Oh, that big German guy, right? I talked to him a few times. He’s hard not to strike up a conversation with, considering how big and loud he is.” Genji smiled at the memory of the man; he was kindly, even with his bellowing voice and large stature. 

“Yes, he is a very boisterous man,” Zenyatta agreed. He paused for a moment, as if considering his next words. “If you would like to come by sometime, I would quite enjoy that. The address is here.” He reached into a pocket of the shirt he was wearing and pulled out a piece of paper. How archaic. He handed it to Genji.

Seeing him again would be nice. This monk had already piqued his interest. Something about him was quite mysterious, but also inviting. Someone he’d like to hear the thoughts of. It would broaden his horizons, at least.

“I think I’ll take you up on that, Zen,” Genji said, putting his hands behind his head.

“I would love to introduce Reinhardt to my savior,” Zenyatta said.

Both of them laughed. 

Genji knew Zenyatta would be a good friend to have.

\--

At his lunch break, Jack Morrison made his way through the halls, trying to find the way out. The building was massive, and every hall looked the same. He was already hopelessly lost. What kind of interior design was this?

He had searched at least 10 minutes for a single stairwell; distracted by his own search, he bumped into another figure in the hallway, nearly dropping his packed lunch. The figure was large; at least as large as he was, making the impact all the more forceful.

“Oh, hell,” he said. “Excuse me.” He tried to rush away, but the person stopped him. 

“Hey,” the man said; the voice was vaguely familiar. Looking up, he saw a man in a hoodie that was absolutely not professional attire. “You the new guy?” He said, raising an eyebrow.

Whoever this man was, he was certainly on the staff. _Way to embarrass yourself in front of your new co-worker, dumbass._

Now that he had a good look at the man, he realized something else: he was hot as all hell. God damn it, now he made himself look dumb in front of an attractive man, too. 

Jack nodded. “Morrison,” he said, reaching out to shake the man’s hand. 

The man cocked his head to the side. “No need to be so formal. This isn’t the military. Or the Boy Scouts.” He snickered at his own joke. Jack could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. The other man reached his hand out to meet Jack’s. “Gabriel Reyes. I teach Art a few doors down.” He pointed to a door on the right. “What about you?”

Wait, Reyes was actually curious about him? 

“History. Except I have no idea where the hell I am. I’m lost as hell,” Jack admitted.

Reyes laughed, and Jack could feel embarrassment rising in him again. Apparently Reyes could tell, because he patted Jack on the shoulder. “I’ll help you out. Where are you heading?”

“Was looking for somewhere to eat my lunch,” Jack said, holding up the lunch bag.

Reyes looked towards the left, eventually pointing to a door on the end of the hallway. “You could try the lounge. First door on the right when you go downstairs.”

“So the stairs were right there the whole time?” Jack asked. He smacked his own forehead. “I suck at this.”

Reyes shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe a little,” he said, with a smirk. Jack glared at him, and he laughed. Even if it still felt a little mocking, his laugh did sound nice. “I’m just messing with you. C’mon, I’ll lead you there. Hopefully you won’t get lost along the way.”

Jack sighed. “It’s not my fault these halls are confusing as fuck.” He covered his mouth, realizing he just swore on his first day at work. 

Reyes stared at him. _Oh god, he’s gonna report me--_ “Morrison, we’re grown men. You can say fuck.” He shook his head. “You really are a Boy Scout.”

“Nothing wrong with staying out of trouble,” Jack said. “It’s how you keep your job.”

“Well, I’ve been here for five years wearing shit like this” -- he gestured to his own hoodie and jeans -- “And saying what I want, and I’ve been fine. I think the dean just likes me. That’s what happens when you’re a charming guy,” he said, with a cocky smile.

Reyes started walking towards the stairs, and Jack followed, still nervous about somehow getting lost. At the moment, Reyes was his lifeline. “I can be charming, too,” he said; he wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince Reyes or himself.

It took a moment for Reyes to respond, and Jack wondered if he was being mocked again, until he realized that Reyes was looking him over, as if trying to inspect him for ill intent. Eventually, Reyes grinned at him. “Eh. Some people like the good boy type. You got that going for you.”

Jack laughed; something about being teased felt nice. It made the workplace feel a bit more casual. Eased his nerves a bit. “You’re a dick,” Jack said. “I mean that in a nice way,” he added, just to be sure not to make him mad already.

Reyes rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I’m sure you do.” 

They reached the stairs, Reyes still leading the way. The walls of the stairwell were gray, and Jack could hear a slight drip of water in the background. A contrast to the pristine hallways he had seen. “Can the university not pay to fix its leaks?” Jack asked.

Reyes scoffed. “More like they don’t spend their money on shit that matters.” Suddenly, he froze. Jack couldn’t see his expression from behind, but he could tell Reyes’ whole body tensed. “Just a joke. Anyway, how are you liking the new job?”

_That was weird._

Jack decided not to ask any questions about it. He didn’t want to piss someone off on his first day. “It’s alright. Just trying to find my way around. Students seem pretty engaged, though.”

Reyes opened the door at the bottom of the staircase, and both of them went inside. “What do you teach? By the sound of that, not math.”

It didn’t take long for Reyes to bounce back from...whatever that was, so Jack decided to move on.

Jack chuckled. “History. US history from 1800-present, specifically. I got so many cool things planned for this semester.” He paused as Reyes stopped in front of a door that said “Lounge” on it. “But I’m sure you’ve got places to go.”

Reyes shook his head. “Nah, I’m on my break. How about I sit with you?”

Jack was caught off-guard, not expecting anyone to give him the time of day. “Sounds good.”

And so, the two sat down in the lounge, both in chairs in front of the table in the center of the room. While Jack ate, the two discussed various parts of their lives. 

Reyes was a couple years older than Jack. He was from Los Angeles; he missed city life, and wanted to return to a large city someday. Jack couldn’t relate. He’d been drawing since he was a kid, and started teaching art about 20 years ago, a while after his tour in the military ended. Jack was fascinated to learn that he was a military man, and teased how little discipline he seemed to have gotten from it. When Reyes found out that Jack had been in the army as well, Reyes responded that Jack had just gotten too much discipline.

Reyes interested Jack. He seemed to have an aloof demeanor about most things, but the passion was clear in his voice when he talked about his hometown. Talking to someone more laidback was refreshing in a stuffy, professional environment. A level of cynicism he showed while talking about his experiences contrasted Jack’s more optimistic view on things. It wasn’t bad for him to view it that way. Just different.

Jack could only hope he was interesting to Reyes, as well. Reyes seemed relatively engaged with what he was saying, and clearly enjoyed prodding him. It seemed good-natured. As far as Jack could tell, at least. He’d never been the best at reading people.

“Yeah, I love Daisy more than anything,” Jack said; he did love talking about his cat. “She’s my baby. You got any pets at home?” He asked.

Reyes shook his head, leaning back in his chair. “Nah. I don’t really need company.”

Jack raised an eyebrow. “Nobody else at home, either?” He took a final drink of his juice, emptying the thermos. 

“Nope. How about you?” Reyes said.

Jack couldn’t mask a small sigh. “Nope. Still single. Been that way for decades now.”

Reyes looked genuinely surprised for a moment. That was a confidence booster. “Eh. You’ll find someone.” He patted Jack on the back, then looked at his phone. “12:23. You got a class?”

Jack nodded. “Should probably get back…” He knew he was just going to get lost again.

“You can ask for help, you know,” Reyes said, rolling his eyes. “What room? I’ll take you there.”

“That’s really nice of you, actually,” Jack said. “Room 204.”

Reyes stared at him incredulously. “Morrison, that’s three doors away from where I found you.”

Seriously? Jack groaned. “That means I went in a giant circle. God dammit.”

Reyes laughed, shaking his head. “You’re hopeless.” The words were a bit rude, but he wore a smile when he said them, seeming more amused than judgmental. “I’ll get you back there. You’ll owe me, though,” he said with a wink.

Jack tried to play it cool; his wide smile completely gave it away, though. “Deal. You’re a lifesaver.”

To his surprise, Reyes smiled back.

Dear God, he might have made a friend.


	2. Is Everything What it Seems?

Over the next couple weeks, Jack continued to talk to Reyes every day. Having lunch together quickly became a tradition between the two of them. They always went into the same lounge, right after Jack’s second class of the day. 

Jack liked Reyes a lot. He was witty, laid back, and very engaging to talk to. Somebody he found interesting; each time they spoke, he enjoyed learning more about him.

Of course, he was capable of being silly, too. In fact, he clearly took joy in teasing Jack.

“What’s your favorite sport?” Reyes asked. It was nice to see someone sound genuinely interested when asking a question like that. Jack had gotten used to empty small talk. 

“It’s funny. I used to play football, but I always liked golf better,” Jack said. If there was one thing he missed, it was a round on the golf course. 

Reyes immediately started laughing.

“What’s so funny?!” Jack asked.

After a few more seconds of laughter, Jack glaring at him the whole time, Reyes spoke. “You are  _ so  _ white. Golf?”

“It’s fun if you give it a chance,” Jack said, frowning. “I’ll take you one of these days, if you want.” There was a course a couple miles away; he’d just been too busy with work to go to it. If he had Reyes there, he would feel better about taking the time away.

Reyes brushed a couple crumbs off of his hoodie. Still dressed just as unprofessionally, every single day. “If you ever convince me to do that, you’ll  _ know  _ I’ve gone insane.”

Jack grinned. “Sounds like a challenge to me.”

Reyes rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. “Do you always try to do things that aren’t possible?”

Jack nodded. “Story of my life.”

He left every lunch feeling like he actually had a successful social interaction.

There was one issue, though. Sometimes Reyes acted a little bit strange while they were talking. Certain topics would come up, and he’d immediately change the subject, and if Jack tried to continue, he’d rush through everything Jack said, giving non-responses that were only a few words, at most. 

Jack couldn’t find a pattern in what made him act that way. The only thing he could detect was that Reyes didn’t enjoy talking about the school’s management, but he chalked that up to not wanting punishment. Still, that wouldn’t explain why he became so tense when anything involving them came up. He couldn’t tell exactly what emotion Reyes was feeling when he showed these behaviors; was it fear? Anger? 

Whatever it was, Jack tried his best to put it out of his mind. He didn’t feel like he knew Reyes well enough to ask tough questions like that, considering it clearly upset him. 

Currently, Reyes was munching on a sandwich while Jack talked. Jack knew he had a tendency to be chatty, and he appreciated that Reyes never called him out on it. Others were often not so courteous. 

“My Mama used to give killer massages. I could use one right now,” Jack said, rubbing his own back.

“Or maybe you’re just old,” Reyes teased, obviously enjoying the glare Jack gave him. “Ah, there’s nothing wrong with being old, Boy Scout.”

That nickname had quickly become Reyes’ favorite. Jack wasn’t sure if it was insulting or not. 

Before Jack could retort, he saw Reyes hit his hand on the table while reaching for his drink. “Ow,” he said. It didn’t sound too serious, but the table did make a loud noise when it was hit, so he couldn’t be entirely sure.

Then, something incredibly odd happened.

Jack could  _ swear  _ he saw Reyes’ hand start to dematerialize into smoke. 

There was no mistaking it. A gray cloud formed in place of his hand; it lasted only seconds before his hand re-formed, appearing completely normal. But the damage was done; Jack knew exactly what he saw.

When he looked up at Reyes, he saw his friend’s mouth agape for a few seconds, before he got up. “Anyway, I’ve got to pick something up before class. See you later.”

Before Jack could ask any other questions, Reyes was out the door.

Jack could only sit in his chair and try to process what the hell just happened. He knew that body modification had advanced since he was young, but he definitely hadn’t seen anything like  _ that.  _ And there was no way he could forget the sheer terror in Reyes’ eyes when Jack looked at him. Judging by that, Reyes knew Jack had seen it.

Curiosity burned through Jack, but he didn’t want to intrude on his friend’s life. Still, that was something that he couldn’t just brush off. What if Reyes needed help? What if he was sick, in some way Jack had never seen before? 

Of course, Jack knew Reyes wouldn’t want to talk about it. Whatever this was, it was likely deeply personal. As much as he wanted to show his friend that he was supportive and didn’t judge him, it seemed unlikely that Reyes would ever start a conversation about this himself, and he probably wouldn’t appreciate Jack asking.

He wondered if this was connected to his tension about other topics. With that in mind, he knew not to ask the school’s management about this. What did they know about this? How were they connected? 

Jack had never been much of a detective. He liked things straightforward. When he’d read mystery books, he’d never know the answer until the very end. If there was anyone suited to figuring out what was going on, it definitely wasn’t him.

_ What the hell am I supposed to do? _

Should he talk to somebody else about it? His other close friend here was Ana Amari, a chemistry professor. The two had been stationed at the same military base years ago, and had reconnected last year. She was part of the reason he had even come here in the first place. She was much better at things like this than he was. And maybe she would have some idea about the science behind this. Okay, that might be a longshot.

But with how secretive Reyes was about this, it didn’t feel right to tell anyone, even those he trusted. 

He went back to his office, unsure of what else there was to do. After pacing around his office for a while, he decided not to call anyone. It would be disrespectful to probe any further. As much as he wanted to know, he had to keep it to himself.

But God, it was going to be hard to ignore his curiosity. 

\--

Genji had only managed to catch Zenyatta while he was out once. Although he still had the address to the flower shop, he didn’t want to bother Zenyatta while he was working. Zenyatta assured him that this would not be a problem, and Genji felt reassured while they were talking, but by the next day, the anxiety had come back.

Their conversation had been nice, though. He’d learned more about Zenyatta’s monastery, while Genji told him about his hometown.

Genji shouldn’t have shared as much about his family as he did. Their alliance with the Yakuza meant they wanted to keep things secretive. But what did he care? All that family ever did was reject him. He didn’t want their approval, because he knew he was never going to get it. It hurt when he was younger, but he was an adult now. It was time to stop being afraid.

He met up with his brother, Hanzo, for breakfast. It was a small restaurant with outdoor seating; on a pleasant autumn day like this, he felt compelled to sit outside. The sky was filled with bright sunshine this morning, the temperatures crisp. Genji always preferred the cooler weather, so this time of year was paradise for him.

The two met up weekly. It was nice to have time together every week. Although the family clearly preferred Hanzo, this didn’t get in the way of their relationship  _ too  _ much; they still spent time together, and he enjoyed Hanzo’s company. Now that they were out of the house, it was easier to meet, as well (although Genji was sure the family had watchful eyes even here).

He was already digging into the pancakes he had ordered. Delicious. Food from these campus restaurants was so full of sugar, and the portions were much larger than in Japan, which was exactly how he liked it.

Hanzo snorted. “You still eat like a toddler.”

Genji put his hand on his chest, right where his heart was. “You wound me, brother.” He laughed. “It’s not my fault you’re the uptight one.”

“Hmph. I can be fun when I want to,” Hanzo said.

“If you say so,” Genji said, and took another bite. He noticed Hanzo glare at him. Prodding his brother like this was a feeling that never got old, no matter how much he aged.

They started talking about what they’d done that week. Genji was very amused by the story of a boy asking Hanzo on a date, and him having no idea how to say no. Personally, Genji thought it might do him some good to spend time with other people, even if it didn’t end up going anywhere. Hanzo was a bit more reclusive than Genji thought he should be.

Eventually, the conversation got to Zenyatta. He knew that Hanzo wasn’t prejudiced against Omnics, even though much of their family was. 

“I want to hang out with him more,” Genji started, taking a sip of his soda, “but I don’t want to interrupt his work.”

Hanzo stared at him. “If you enjoy this Omnic’s company, simply go there and ask to spend time together. I don’t understand why that is difficult.”

Genji shook his head. “You never get how things can be awkward.” He pointed his fork at Hanzo. “I bet you would just barge right in and have a whole conversation while he was with a customer.”

“Perhaps I would,” Hanzo said. “Your method does not seem to be working for you.”

“Ah, can it,” Genji said, as the waiter came back with the paid check.

Hanzo took a final drink of his coffee. “Where is this flower shop anyway?”

“You planning on threatening him or something?” Genji said, with a mischievous smile. “It’s down the road, last building on the right. Why?”

As soon as the waiter left, Hanzo got up, and held onto Genji’s shirt. “Come on.” Although Genji protested the entire way, Hanzo led him (mostly by force) to the flower shop. When they reached the front door, Hanzo opened it, pushed Genji inside, then let him go. “There. Now talk to him.”

Genji glared at him. Hanzo would pay for this later. His thoughts of vengeance were interrupted, though, when someone tapped him on the shoulder. As he turned around, he saw Hanzo leave the shop out of the corner of his eye, and swore he could see a smirk on his face.

He noticed that the person who was trying to catch his attention was Zenyatta. Oh, God. That was embarrassing. “Uh, hi.”

Zenyatta looked at him. He was wearing a blue uniform, and the orbs that surrounded him were instead in a tight circle around his waist, presumably to not obstruct the customers. “Hello, Genji,” he said, his tone warm. “Would you like some help choosing something?”

Genji scratched the back of his head. “No, that’s alright.” Social interaction usually came so easily to him, but something about Zenyatta was so different from those other conversations. Even when he was trying to bed someone, he didn’t feel nearly this much urge to impress them. “I was wondering, do you want to meet up soon?”

He noticed Zenyatta’s body perk up at that suggestion, and the orbs glowed slightly brighter. “I would be delighted. You may come to the apartment on the floor above the shop at closing. The shop closes at 7 PM.”

“Well, I don’t want to impose--” Genji said; was he really at the level of being invited to his home?

Zenyatta shook his head. “It is no trouble at all, my friend. I am happy to have you, and I am sure Reinhardt will be, as well.”

Genji smiled, a little bit of excitement hitting him at the prospect of being in his living space. “I’ll be back at 7, then,” he said, still a bit uneasy. “See you soon!” He added, as he rushed out the door, too excited to sit still.

_ 7PM… _

Genji had been hanging around the flower shop for the last 10 minutes. He didn’t want to arrive too early and potentially get in the way, but he didn’t want to risk the door locking before he could get there, either. He wasn’t sure if Zenyatta had seen him inside.

When the clock struck 7, Zenyatta quickly made his way to Genji. That answered that question. “Follow me, Genji,” he said. A single orb floated towards Genji, gradually following Zenyatta to a door in the back of the shop. Genji walked there.

Zenyatta opened the door, revealing a staircase. Then, Zenyatta did something that shocked Genji: he lifted his legs and crossed them at the knee, then began to float. What the hell?

Would it be rude to stare? Genji tried to look away, but it was difficult to not want to investigate. In the end, he only shifted his vision for a second, and immediately came back. 

Zenyatta chuckled. “Perhaps I should have warned you first.”

Genji came back to reality. “No, that’s fine. I was just a little surprised.”

What other powers did Zenyatta hold?

The two reached the top of the stairs; Zenyatta opened the door. When Zenyatta began to enter, Genji looked over his shoulder, trying to get a glimpse as quickly as possible. His curiosity about Zenyatta in general extended to his living space, too. 

What he saw was not particularly unusual. The apartment was decorated relatively simply; the only thing of note were the trophies and medals in the cabinet on the left wall. “Whose are those?” Genji asked.

“Reinhardt keeps these awards as mementos for his time as a crusader,” Zenyatta said. Genji got closer to the cabinet, inspecting it. Looking at the engravings on some of the medals, he noticed the large range of time they covered. The earliest was from 2033, and the latest from 2070. 37 years in service. Genji couldn’t even imagine. That must mean he was old as hell, too. “I was quite impressed, as well.”

“Where is he, anyway?” Genji said, forcing himself not to stare for too long. 

“He is still closing up shop,” Zenyatta said. “He may take up to a half hour.”

“Huh. I’ve never run a store before. Does it really take that long?” Genji didn’t want to admit that he’d never had a real job at all. His family paid for everything. Really, he hadn’t done much work in general.

“It does,” Zenyatta said. “Do not worry, Genji. I have never had a traditional job, either.”

Genji recoiled at that. How the hell did he read him so easily? It was as if he stared directly into his soul. “How did you know?” Genji said, hoping he didn’t sound terrified.

“When something is troubling you, you tend to look away and bite your lip.” Genji’s eyes widened. Zenyatta hummed. “I am simply observant. It is not too impressive.”

“Says you,” Genji responded, with a resigned sigh. “I’ve never met anyone that can do that.”

Zenyatta’s orb came towards him, lightly brushing against Genji’s hand. Oddly enough, it felt...playful. “I believe it is important to understand those around us. If we are understanding, we can have far more successful relationships than we may realize.” Zenyatta floated towards a chair next to a table, sitting down on it, then pointed to the couch on the other side of the table. “You are welcome to sit.”

Genji did as he was told. The couch was soft, and had enough space for multiple people; he supposed all furniture had to be large for someone the size of Reinhardt to live there. “You know, I never thought of watching people that way,” he said, as he tried to get comfortable on the couch. 

“If you do it often, it becomes subconscious,” Zenyatta said. “It also makes it quite easy to tell when someone is lying to you,” he added.

He made a mental note of that. Do not lie to Zenyatta. “If you hadn’t told me that, I would’ve thought you could just read minds or something. With all the floating, it wouldn’t surprise me.”

Zenyatta laughed. “I am an Omnic, not a magician,” he teased.

“Can’t you be both?” Genji said, with a smirk.

One of the orbs floated past the side of Genji’s head. “You are right. I have made an orb appear behind your ear. Are you impressed by my trick?”

Genji snickered. “Oh, very. You have to teach me.” He reached for the orb and took it in the palm of his hand. The orb emitted warmth, but not to the point of being hot to the touch. Despite its relatively large size, it felt almost weightless. He could imagine this bringing comfort to even the most depressed person. “Wow,” he said. With the way Zenyatta looked at him while the orb was in his hand, it felt as if he were holding a piece of his soul.

The moment was interrupted, however, when Genji heard stomping underneath the floor. That must mean the big man was here. He put the orb down on the table, and it slowly floated back to Zenyatta. 

The man opened the door, a big smile on his face. “Hello, Zenyatta!” He said, in a jovial tone. “I see our guest is here!” He approached Genji; he was surprisingly nimble for someone of his size. Reinhardt’s eyes were not directed at his. Instead, they were focused on his hair. “That is a truly unique color, my friend!”

Genji lifted his hand to his hair, brushing his finger over a spike. “Honestly, I just did it to piss off my father.”

“Ha!” Reinhardt said; every time he spoke, it sounded like he was shouting. It took some getting used to, but at least he was obviously engaged. “I would do the same at your age. I had my own rebellious streak, you know,” he whispered, as if that were a secret he could get in trouble for.

“He may be rebellious, but Genji has been nothing but kind to me,” Zenyatta observed. 

Genji didn’t want his image messed with that way. Zenyatta was just different from everyone else. Something about him made him want to behave. Maybe to impress him, or maybe he made Genji feel calmer. “I’m just going easy on you for now. You’ll see how crazy I can be.”

Zenyatta chuckled. “I look forward to it.”

“Hey, you sound like you don’t believe me!” Genji said, indignant. 

“I suppose we shall see, hm?” Zenyatta said.

Genji stuck his tongue out at Zenyatta. “Anyway,” he said, “you guys want pizza? I’ll buy.” Well, his father would buy. 

Reinhardt nodded quickly. “That would be wonderful, my friend!” 

Genji looked back at Zenyatta. He wasn’t sure how to word this. “Uh, do you eat?”

Zenyatta hummed. “My body is capable of breaking food down into energy that fuels my systems. It is not necessary, but possible.”

That was good to hear. He didn’t want to leave Zenyatta out. 

Time passed. Genji didn’t feel impatient waiting for their pizza at all; he was just enjoying the chance to talk to Zenyatta and Reinhardt. The stories Reinhardt told were amusing, although he was unsure how true they were. Either way, the man’s positivity was infectious. Zenyatta was uplifting, as well; this was a space that would boost anyone’s mood. 

“I am not bluffing!” Reinhardt bellowed indignantly. “I am telling you, I did fight a tiger with my bare hands!”

Genji crossed his arms. “I have to draw the line somewhere, old man. You didn’t.”

“Old man?!” Reinhardt said. “A crusader never ages.”

Zenyatta floated towards Reinhardt and patted him on the back. “There is nothing wrong with growing older, my friend.”

Genji laughed, with Reinhardt’s shocked expression only making it even more amusing.

After they finished their food, Genji got up and stretched. “I should probably get back home.” He noticed Zenyatta’s head dip slightly, as if...he wanted Genji to stay?

Whatever the reason for it, Zenyatta quickly shook it off, putting his head back up. “Farewell, Genji. I hope I will see you again soon.”

A smile hit Genji’s face. Having someone like Zenyatta wanting him around was flattering, to say the least. “Can I come over more often?”

“You are always welcome, my friend!” Reinhardt said.

Zenyatta sent another orb towards Genji, it resting on his shoulder, then delicately touching his cheek. He felt a small amount of heat rushing towards his face, and he was fairly certain it wasn’t just the orb.

He would definitely be back as soon as possible.


	3. A Storm is Brewing

This sucked arse.

Lena was currently limping to the university’s health center. After classes let out, she saw a group of students playing football (or what Mr. Morrison would call ‘soccer’; silly Americans), and decided to join them. At the time, she felt lucky they said yes. It was a nice way to make new friends, and she was fast enough that sports were easy for her.

Unfortunately, her mood was dulled rather quickly. During the game, one of the other players accidentally kicked her hard in the shin while trying to get the ball. The girl apologized profusely, and Lena wasn’t angry at her, but the damage was done. Her shin hurt like hell, and they all agreed that she should go to the health center to make sure she didn’t break anything.

The path to the center felt miles long when she walked to it this way, but walking all the way to the street to get a car would take just as long. No, this was all she could do. 

After finally making it to the health center, she talked to the receptionist, who put her on a waiting list. The waiting room was boring as hell, but she was only there for about five minutes before her name was called.

She was let into the room behind the desk, guided by a worker. For some reason, the worker seemed like she was in a rush to guide Lena to her room. She heard the distinct sound of someone being wheeled around on a gurney. So it was something about patient privacy, right?

She couldn’t resist rubbernecking a bit to see what was going on.

That might have been a mistake.

She caught only a brief glimpse, but the person on there did  _ not  _ look right. It wasn’t as if she’d never seen an injured person, but this was not a normal injury.

What stood out to Lena was that the person’s proportions looked completely off. The person looked like a young adult, so they were probably a student. A lad, she was fairly sure. Although the top half of his body looked mostly normal, his legs were massive for his frame. It wasn’t as if he was merely unevenly muscular, either; they were easily double the size that they should be, and were larger than those of any bodybuilder she’d ever seen.

This wasn’t any kind of disability she’d heard of. Not only that, but the student was moaning, and sounded as if he was suffering. The sounds were so loud that she could hear him across the hall. 

She was astute enough to know that she had just seen something that she probably shouldn’t have. She tried her best not to seem phased. As if she’d never seen it at all. Just so this employee wouldn’t know that she had looked, because if one only heard the noises, someone could pass it off as the patient being sick. But that sight wasn’t one of any sickness she could even think of. 

Almost immediately afterwards, she reached the room in which the doctor would see her. She tried to put what she’d seen out of her mind, and hoped to God that it wasn’t contagious.

She had a feeling that if she told someone at the health center what she’d seen, they wouldn’t tell her the truth of what was wrong.

The check-in with the doctor ended relatively quickly. Just a big bruise. She was told not to walk on it too much, to apply ice, and come back if she was still having trouble walking in a week. Not a bad diagnosis. If only she could be happy about that, instead of disturbed by what she’d seen. In all honesty, she’d barely even paid attention to what the doctor was saying.

She knew she had to tell someone. What she’d seen just wasn’t right. It could just be the man getting into some kind of chemical accident, or something else that would artificially modify his body, but she didn’t know of anything around here that could possibly cause that. 

There was the terrifying possibility that someone may have messed with his body intentionally. She had no idea who it would be, though, and why. Or maybe it was a side effect to some kind of experimental treatment of some illness?

This was frustrating. No matter how much she thought about it, she only continued to become more confused.

By the next morning, she was sure of the idea of telling someone, but who? As she walked into Mr. Morrison’s class, she considered him, but wasn’t entirely sure if she was ready to talk to an authority figure about this. Would he just call her delusional, brush her off, or give her some kind of platitude and never actually look into it? Mr. Morrison didn’t seem like the type to do that, but she wasn’t sure.

Sitting down, she looked over and realized something: Genji. He’d be the right one to tell. He was already shaping up to be her best friend here, so he was certainly trustworthy, and he never made her feel dumb like a lot of people did.

She whispered into his ear. “I need to talk to you about something weird that happened. Meet me after class.”

He gave her a quizzical look, but nodded.

Class was hard to pay attention to. It was a shame, because she usually enjoyed keeping the energy up in the classroom, but there was too much on her mind. She couldn’t focus at all, and only heard a small portion of what Mr. Morrison was saying, as much as he tried to make it ‘fun’ with his goofy jokes.

After what felt like an eternity, the class let out. She zipped out the door and waited for Genji. He was agonizingly slow. When he did get there, Lena motioned for him to follow her. “We need to talk about this in private,” she said, in a hushed tone. 

“Lena, is this a joke?” He asked.

“Just keep walking,” she said. He did as he was told. 

Eventually, they reached the library, and Lena found a study room with nobody in it. She slipped inside, and Genji joined her, still looking confused.

She sat down, looking around her to ensure that nobody was there. Maybe a bit too paranoid, but she’d rather be safe than sorry. 

“I need to tell you something crazy,” she started.

“I could kind of tell,” he said. Ah, the Shimada snark.

She ignored that. “This is gonna sound weird, but you  _ gotta  _ believe me.” Slowly, he nodded. “OK. So I was at the health center, and I saw something that wasn’t normal. They were wheeling this guy around, and he just looked...wrong,” she said; thinking about it was still disturbing. “It wasn’t like he got hurt or something. His body proportions were all weird. He had the biggest legs I’d ever seen, and a normal rest of his body. It wasn’t natural.”

Genji raised an eyebrow. “You sure he didn’t just have a weird body?”

She shook her head. “He looked like he was in a funhouse mirror. I’ve never seen anything like it. And he kept making these sounds like he was in awful pain.” The memory of the man’s moaning made her shudder. 

Genji rested his elbow on the table. “So what do you think was wrong?”

She sighed. “I have no damn idea. All I know was that the workers definitely didn’t want me to see him. One was trying to stand in the way and block my sight, and my guide was moving me through so fast.” 

He put his finger on his chin. “Hmmmm,” he said. “That reminds me of something that was going on last year. My friend Jesse told me that he couldn’t find his friend anywhere. Two weeks later, he turned up again, but he said he looked way bigger, and wouldn’t talk to him.” Wait. This might have happened to more than one person? “He didn’t say anything about his proportions being off, so I told him it might just be some kind of weird medical thing, but he didn’t seem convinced. Maybe I should’ve listened to him.” Thinking he knew more about medicine than everyone else even though he hadn’t studied it was  _ so _ Genji, she thought, with a roll of her eyes.

“Do you think someone’s doing this on purpose?” She asked, eyes wide.

Genji closed his eyes. “It could be.”

She thought about her options for a moment. An idea came to her. “Isn’t your family super connected here?” Genji had told her before about his wealthy family, and their association with the university and government, but it was mostly to complain about how snobby they were. “You could ask them.”

He put his hands behind his head. “They wouldn’t tell me. They barely tolerate me.” He looked away. “And if my family’s involved, that’s  _ really  _ bad.” He didn’t elaborate at first. Lena didn’t want to pry, so she didn’t ask for more information, but he seemed to notice her curiosity, because he went on. “My family’s connected with some bad people. Let’s put it that way. They wouldn’t want me telling you that, but they can kiss my ass.”

She giggled, as quietly as she could to avoid drawing attention. Even though the room was empty and the door closed, she really didn’t want anyone snooping on this conversation. “What should I do, then?”

Genji looked up the ceiling for a moment. “You could ask one of the professors. They might know something. Which one do you trust?”

She knew the answer instantly. “Mr. Morrison. I’m sure he’s safe.”

Genji laughed. “Because he’s too much of a goody two-shoes to be in on anything shady? I agree.” She snickered along with him. She meant all of this in an affectionate way, and hoped Genji did, too. “He’s new, though, so he might not know much.”

She bit her lip. “I don’t really know any of the other professors well enough to trust them. He’s at least in a better position to look into it than I am.”

Genji nodded. “Ask away, then. Tell me what he says. I’ll keep my eye out for anything interesting.”

She smiled at him. “Thanks, Genj.”

“Genj, huh?” He said, with a smirk. “I can live with that. I’m used to just being called ‘Sparrow’ by my family.”

“Aww, that’s so cute!” She said.

He chuckled. “It was an insult, but thanks.” 

“Oh,” she said, sheepishly. “Why are they so mean to you?”

He shrugged. “I’m not their perfect little poster child, and they don’t like that. It’s something I’ve accepted by now. It’s been this way since I was a kid.”

She gave him a sympathetic look. “Still, I’m sorry.”

He didn’t look phased. “Eh, it’s fine. They’re a bunch of douchebags, anyway.”

Even though he insisted he wasn’t bothered by it, Lena still felt some pity for Genji. It must hurt to have your whole family not like you. Maybe she’d try to help him out later.

“Anyway, you wanna investigate this on our own, too?” Lena asked.

Genji nodded with a grin. “Detectives Shimada and Oxton, huh? I could get used to it.” 

Lena laughed. “My last class is at 3. You wanna meet after that and look around?”

Genji appeared to consider something for a moment; Lena didn’t ask what it was. “Yeah. Sounds good.”

She cheered, then realized she was being a bit too loud, covering her mouth. “Go team!” She said. 

With renewed confidence, Lena knew she had to find Mr. Morrison, and try to make some sense of this mess.

\--

For a few days after that experience, Reyes was obviously avoiding Jack. He didn’t come to lunch, and was somehow impossible to find no matter where Jack went. The man was pretty damn good at being slippery, Jack would give him that.

God dammit, this was depressing as hell. He had a friend he valued, a new person he was enjoying the company of, and he lost him to a complete accident.

Jack still went to their lunch every day, just in hope that he might come. To Jack’s intense relief, Reyes arrived in the lounge on Friday.

There was a tense silence in the room for a few moments. Eventually, Reyes started talking to him about how annoyed he was at one of his students, completely unrelated to what had happened a few days ago.

And that was that. Neither of them brought it up that day, and their lunch ended with no words about what had happened. 

Jack just wanted to forget about it entirely.

Still, his relationship with Reyes wasn’t stopped by that strange occurrence. In fact, they even started spending time together outside of their typical lunch hour. Mostly on school grounds, but they had meals elsewhere a few times.

As Jack opened up his lunch, he quietly sung to himself, “ _ Give me one reason to stay here, and I’ll turn right back around.” _

Reyes looked at him, head cocked to the side. “Hey, that sounded nice. You sing?”

Jack almost immediately looked away. Singing was something he had trouble sharing with others, and he cursed himself for letting it out at all. “Every once in a while. Used to do it all the time as a kid.”

Reyes raised an eyebrow. “Choir kid?”

Jack shook his head. “Theatre, actually.”

“Really?” Reyes said, resting his chin on his hands. “You perform at all?”

Jack scratched the back of his head, blood rushing to his cheeks. “Was in the school’s musical once _.  _ It was  _ Beauty and the Beast.  _ I was the Beast. _ ”  _ The memory was pleasant, but embarrassing. He regretted telling Reyes at all. He knew he’d get laughed at.

To his surprise, Reyes didn’t laugh. In fact, he said, “That’s adorable.” That didn’t make him feel any less shy, but at least it wasn’t as embarrassing as being mocked. “Wish I could’ve seen that.” 

Jack chuckled. He supposed he might as well be open. “Wanted to be a singer as a kid. But the military didn’t have any place for that, so I let that dream go fast.” Jack thought for a moment. “You have any dreams like that as a kid?”

Reyes sighed. “I knew you’d ask me something like that.” He paused. “Alright, fine. When I was a kid, I wanted to design clothes. The military sure as hell wasn’t interested in that, either.” 

“You could’ve designed my Beast costume,” Jack said, with a smirk. 

Reyes gently slapped his shoulder. “Ah, shut up.”

Jack smiled at him, whole body perked up. “Didn’t take you for a creative type, honestly.” He paused, reconsidering what he said. “No offense.”

Reyes chuckled, a low tone that Jack found he enjoyed hearing. “None taken. I get that a lot. Nobody expects the scary guy to be into clothes.”

“Nobody expects the tough guy to like singing, either,” Jack said. “Besides, you’re not scary. Least not to me.”

Reyes stared at him for a moment. Strange. He seemed much more surprised than Jack expected. “I’m scarier than you think, I promise,” he said, looking down at the table.

Jack shrugged his shoulders. “Eh, maybe. I’m willing to take the risk.”

At that point, Reyes looked outright taken aback, chair sliding slightly away from Jack. But just as quickly as it came, the shocked expression faded. Playing it cool again. Typical. “You’re a weird one, Morrison,” he said. Jack laughed. 

Reyes suddenly turned away, and for a few moments, refused to look in Jack’s direction. Did he say something wrong? “Something up?” Jack asked.

Reyes took a deep breath, but managed to look back at Jack. But then, he looked away again. Was he afraid of something? “No. Just got reminded of something.” Jack cocked his head to the side. “Hey, Morrison?” He said. “Can you just call me Gabriel?”

A first name basis...he shouldn’t read into this too much. He told himself to stop thinking like a dumbass teenager. Yet, he couldn’t keep a sense of excitement entirely away. “Only if you call me Jack.” He extended his hand for him to shake it.

Reyes - or Gabriel, rather - met his hand with his own. 

Maybe things would be okay.

One day, on his way back to his office after class, somebody tapped him on the shoulder. He had been a bit jumpy since the incident with Reyes, worried that one of the school’s administration would give him some kind of repercussions, so he turned around almost immediately. Luckily, the person he saw was Lena, and not some person coming to confront him about what he saw. 

“Yes?” He said, hoping she didn’t notice him acting so suspicious. 

“Mr. Morrison,” Lena said, in a hushed tone. Unusual. She was usually not afraid of being loud at all. “Can I talk to you in private real quick?”

It was probably just a student that was concerned about class. Nothing weird about it. Or at least, that’s what he tried to convince himself. “Office hours start in a few minutes.”

He gestured at her to follow, then made his way to his office (luckily, he’d actually figured his way around by now).

Immediately after he opened the door, Lena made her way inside, going ahead of him. She sat down on a chair next to his desk. It looked like she would jump out of her chair and run away at any moment.

“I figured of all my professors, you’re the one that wouldn’t think I’m nuts for this,” she said. Jack wasn’t sure how to take that. She took a deep breath. “This is gonna sound really crazy. But something I saw yesterday scared me.”

Jack froze. He had a bad feeling about this. He tried to keep that to himself, and merely raise an eyebrow. “What was it?”

She took a deep breath. “I was at the health center. Banged up my leg playing football,” she said. “When the receptionist let me in, I saw something really weird out the corner of my eye. They were wheeling some lad -- couldn’t tell who it was -- into a room, and his body looked all weird. Legs were too big for his body” -- she used her hands to illustrate width, and it didn’t look good -- “And he was making these noises like he was in pain.” Jack’s eyes widened. What in God’s name… “They moved him real fast, so I didn’t see anything but a quick look, but there was definitely something wrong.”

This was a lot to take in. He closed his eyes, putting his hands together and giving himself a chance to internalize it. “Are you sure that’s what you saw?”

Lena nodded quickly. “Cross my heart.”

He had a distinct feeling: whatever he did now, he couldn’t go back.

He had to follow his convictions.

But how could he do this while also keeping Lena safe? He had a distinct feeling that the school officials weren’t going to be happy with snooping, especially when they were probably doing something morally wrong. But she had trusted him with hearing this, so he couldn’t just tell her that he wasn’t interested. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he lied about it, either.

“Lena,” he said, making sure she knew he was taking this seriously. “I’m going to try and find out more about this. I think there’s something weird going on.” That was an understatement. “I’ll tell you anything I find, but you  _ have  _ to keep this a secret. Is there anyone else you’ve told?”

She shifted in her chair. “Genji knows. Should I not have told him?”

Jack sighed. So that was two students that were stuck in this. “No, that’s alright. Just tell him not to tell anyone else.”

She nodded, looking at the door, as if afraid someone would walk in.  _ Me too, kid.  _ “I will. Just…” She paused. “Promise me you’ll really look into it, okay?”

How could he reassure her that he was actually taking this seriously? He supposed that all he could do was tell the truth. “I’ll do what I can. Promise.”

She smiled at him. “Thanks, Mr. Morrison. I knew I could count on you.”

He found himself smiling, as well, a bit embarrassed. “Heheh. I do my best, kid.”

As quickly as she had come in, Lena got up from her chair, moving towards the door. “See you,” she said, waving.

“Take care,” Jack said, and meant it.

As soon as she left, Jack knew what he had to do. He put away his misgivings. For Lena. 

He dialed a number in his phone. He really hoped Ana would pick up.

“Jack? Is there something wrong? You don’t usually call during school hours,” he heard from the other end of the phone. Oh, thank God. 

“Ana, I need to talk to you in person,” he said. “Please come to my office ASAP.”

“I’ll be right there.”

At least she seemed to recognize how serious he was.

During the next few moments, nervousness continued to build up in Jack, and he felt his stomach twisting in knots. Would Ana just tell him he was crazy, or that he was putting too much stock into a story from a student?

But he knew he wasn’t. Both Reyes’ hand and Lena’s story...there had to be a connection. He only needed to convince Ana of that.

It didn’t take long for Ana to show up. She closed the door behind her, quietly enough that Jack wouldn’t have noticed her if he hadn’t been looking directly at the door.

“Glad you got here so fast,” Jack said, a smile on his face.

“Well, you sounded as if you were about to have a heart attack, so I figured it was important,” she said. 

“That obvious, huh?” Jack replied. “Anyway…” He started. She looked straight into his eyes; Ana had the piercing stare he’d expect from any sniper. “Do you know anything weird about the health center?”

Ana’s eyes widened, as if he’d just told her he was dying. He wasn’t entirely surprised. “Why do you ask?”

He gulped. He had to choose his next words carefully. “A student told me they saw something scary there. Somebody that looked outright mutated,” he said, bluntly.

She looked around her, then back at the door. She sat down in a chair. “I suppose you had to find something out eventually,” she began. “I don’t know all of the details, but I’ve heard some whispers about the doctors here. Some talk about people going in sick, then coming out with a completely different problem. There are even rumors of fatalities.”

Jack’s blood ran cold. “Fatalities?” He said, feeling his breath catch. “How the hell has this not gotten out?”

She shook her head. “The owners of this school have more pull in the community than you may realize. If anyone dared expose them, they’d disappear before the day ended.”

_ Disappear… _ He thought about Lena and Genji. He definitely couldn’t let anyone know who had reported this to him. He could only pray that Lena listened when he told her not to tell anybody.

“What about the people who get fucked with?” He said, dreading what her answer would be.

“They’re gone for a few weeks. Nobody is sure where. Students have talked about their friends being gone, then coming back, but they look and act different.”

Jack stared at his desk, unsure of what to say. How many people have been hurt by this already? Then, his mind went to something else important. “There’s one more thing. About Reyes…” He noticed the way Ana stared at him without much of a reaction, as if she knew this was coming. “There was something weird with him, too. He hit his hand, and I swear to God, it turned to smoke.” He knew he would sound crazy.

Ana shook her head. “That’s something I haven’t heard of, but there’s something else I need to say about him: I don’t know if it’s a good idea to get involved with him, Jack.”

“Why not?” Jack said, feeling a bit irritated for reasons he wasn’t entirely sure of.

“I’ve known Gabriel for a while. He keeps a lot of things about him secret, but he’s fallen into a bad crowd over the years. I think he might be involved in all of this.”

There was something about that idea that Jack refused to accept. Not Reyes. Not the one he had made friends with. “He’s never seemed like anything but a decent guy, though.” Sure, he could be a bit aloof, but he’d never do something like that.

“Have you ever noticed that he never talks to anyone outside of class except you?” She asked. Come to think of it… “I don’t think he’s evil, unlike some of the people involved, but he’s probably wrapped up in many secrets. Ones that people won’t want you to find out. Do you think he’s worth the risk?”

Jack didn’t even have to think for a second. “Yes.”

“So you must have gotten that close.” She sighed. “I don’t know what would cause the smoke issue, but I can tell you one thing. Gabriel was quite ill for some time, then recovered oddly quickly. No one is sure what illness he had, or what happened, but once he came here, he was better in less than a week.”

“But...that’s good, right?” Jack asked.

“It is, but that may have a connection to what happened to his hand,” she said. “There is no natural way to do that to a person, and nature doesn’t enjoy having its creations trifled with.”

Jack frowned. “Mm…”

“I am not telling you to not befriend him if you like. He has clearly taken a liking to you, that I am sure of.” Jack didn’t know how to feel about the fact that it was so obvious to everyone else. “All I am telling you is that even though I doubt he would hurt you, he may hurt others.”

Jack lowered his head. Considering all that he’d been told, he should probably try to keep Reyes at a distance. But...he knew he couldn’t do that. “I want to help him, Ana. Think he’s going through a lot.”

She chuckled. “That’s how you’ve always been. You have to save everyone.” Should he take offense to that? “I will not pressure you too much. Just be careful. With all of this.” Her focused glance suggested how serious she was.

“I will.” He smiled at her. “You know ‘careful’ is my middle name.”

She rolled her eyes. “Your name would be a lie, then.”

“Hey!” Jack said, laughing. He felt some of the tension leave his body.

She got up from her chair. “I have to get ready for my next class. Please, if you need any help, ask me.”

Jack nodded. “Will do. Thanks, Ana.”

She gave him a gentle smile, one that only a mother could give. “Anytime, Jack.”

The door closed behind her.

WIth her gone, all Jack could do was sit alone with his thoughts. He was certain he was going to try to help Reyes somehow, but...how? He didn’t even know where to start. The man was probably wrapped up in something terrible. It had to be against his will, though. Jack firmly believed that he would never be involved with these types of actions if he had a choice. Not the Reyes he knew.

He said this as if he’d known the man for years. The reckless nature of his thoughts wasn’t lost on him, but he chose to ignore it.

But he had to consider that he needed to protect Lena and Genji, too. 

He’d barely been here three months, and there were already so many people to save.

What would his next course of action be? He supposed that all he could do was try to find out more. 

He didn’t have any classes left today. His Thursday schedule was the best, really. 

No time to waste. He got up from his chair and left his office, with powerful resolve.

\--

After his conversation with Lena was over, Genji walked downstairs to the building’s exit, a spring in his step. He was going to see Zenyatta for a picnic, and he’d been anticipating it all day. What Lena said was probably important, but his mind was too occupied at the moment to think too deeply about it right now. Let it wait until 3.

By the time he got to the park, he was nearly running. Surveying the area, he couldn’t see Zenyatta. That is, until he felt a tap on his head; when he looked up, he saw one of Zenyatta’s orbs. It moved towards the northeast, and Genji saw Zenyatta sitting on a blanket. Genji went after the orb, a big smile on his face when he got to Zenyatta.

“Hey, Zen,” he said. Zenyatta waved to him. Reaching into his bag, Genji pulled out the package of noodles he’d brought, as well as the portable cooker and a bottle of water. Modern technology was a blessing. Without delay, he put the water and noodles into the cooker, giving it a few moments to cook. 

“You seem eager,” Zenyatta said. “Are you eating well enough?”

“Brother always called me a bottomless pit,” Genji said, getting out a soda. “Food’s just nice, you know?”

Zenyatta nodded. “It does make you quite happy.” There he goes, reading Genji again… “As long as you are careful, I support it. Perhaps you could cut down on the sugar, however,” Zenyatta said, his head turning slightly towards the soda.

Suddenly, Genji felt very shy about his soda habit, covering the drink with his hands. “Eheheh. What are you, my father?”

“Simply someone who cares for your well-being,” Zenyatta said, as he pulled his own meal out of the basket he’d brought. As if what he’d said was so obvious. But to Genji, hearing with certainty that Zenyatta cared for him made his heart beat a little faster. Genji tried to distract himself from that as quickly as he could by looking at Zenyatta’s food. 

“A salad?” Genji said, moving a little closer. “Now I really feel unhealthy.”

Zenyatta hummed. “I only tease. A young man can get away with such consumption habits.”

“How is it that you not scolding me makes me feel even more guilty?” 

“A common technique of mine,” Zenyatta said, sounding amused. “Perhaps I will teach you one day.”

“I don’t know if I could ever pull off the monk stuff.” His pot made a small  _ click.  _ “Oh, it’s ready,” he said. He had been looking forward to this all day. Opening the pot, he took out a package of chopsticks from his pocket. Although he was about to dig in, he remembered who he was with, and tried to eat a bit more politely. He slurped the noodles much slower than usual.

“You do not have to restrain yourself. It is charming to see you enjoy your food,” Zenyatta said. How did he always know?

Still, being called ‘charming’ made his face heat up, and he tried to look away before Zenyatta saw him blush. Of course, someone like Zenyatta would definitely know. It maintained his pride at least a bit. 

Genji was always the one charming others; he wasn’t used to  _ being  _ the one swept off his feet. It left him feeling a certain type of disadvantage. Powerless. But it wasn’t so bad. In fact, there was something comforting about it.

“Well, if you like seeing that, you’ll really enjoy being my friend,” Genji said.

They ate together. The way Zenyatta’s faceplate opened up to take in food was a little odd, but it didn’t bother him. Zenyatta was enjoying his food, and that was what mattered.

Even with his attempts to slow his eating speed, Genji still finished well before Zenyatta. But this wasn’t bad; it gave them more of a chance to talk. 

After they both finished their food, Genji started to walk away, a smile on his face. On his way, he saw Hanzo come towards him. He waved, but Hanzo didn’t look nearly as excited as he was. What a mood killer.

“Genji,” he said, his tone serious. “I must inform you of something.”

“What are you so formal for?” Genji said.

Hanzo shook his head. “Listen. The elders have found out about what you are doing with the Omnic, and they do not approve.”

Genji turned his head away. “They don’t approve of anything I do. What should I care?”

“I don’t agree with them,” Hanzo started, “and I’ve been trying to defend you both. They believe your friendship with him is bad for the family’s image. But in case I cannot convince them that what you’re doing isn’t harmful, you should try to spend less time around him for the time being.”

Was he fucking serious? Genji could already feel annoyance rising in him. “I don’t give a shit about our ‘image’. Them being assholes isn’t my problem.”

Hanzo sighed. “They are not afraid to harm you, Genji.”

Genji didn’t budge, glaring. “I’ll take the risk. I found something that makes me happy, so they can shove their attitude up their own ass.”

“Genji,” Hanzo said, a frown on his face. “I am trying to keep you safe.”

“Why do I even have to not feel safe?” Genji said, raising his voice. “I can live my life how I want. And how can those assholes just judge Zenyatta before they even meet him? It’s bullshit.”

Hanzo lowered his head. “I don’t disagree. But this is the life we must live, and it is our responsibility to protect ourselves and others this way.”

“I didn’t ask for this responsibility, so why should I have to have it?” Genji fired back. “I’m not going to live in fear all the time. Tell the elders that they can eat a dick.”

Before Hanzo could respond to that, Genji stomped away, intentionally moving quickly enough to be out of earshot. No way was he going to listen to that. 

He knew his family was capable of hurting him. They didn’t exactly have the cleanest history. But what kind of life was it where he had to be so restrained, and couldn’t be happy with the ones he cared for? It was better this way. He’d fight tooth and nail to keep what he had with Zenyatta. 

He wasn’t mad at Hanzo himself. He just didn’t understand why his brother didn’t rebel against this bullshit. 

At this point, he was in too deep with Zenyatta to give him up now. And no way in hell was he going to tell Zenyatta that he needed to keep his distance, and see how disappointed his friend would be. That would feel awful.

No, there were some things worth fighting for.


End file.
